Cedar point and lake erie railroad

This year the railroad turns 50. If you want to learn about the history or engine I will answer your questions.

How exactly does the steam engine work, and why is there both coal and wood on the train


Frito Joe

The steam engine has the boiler, you fill it up with water then in the cab you put coal in the Firefox which heats the water. In the front on both sides of the engine there are pistons steam pressure builds up and eventually will move the listings back and forth. Engines at cedar point has coal not wood. Each steam engine is diffrent they can use coal, propane, wood, oil to heat the water. Hope this helps you.

Maverick00's avatar

How fast does the train go and how fast could it possibly go? Also, how many times has the track been altered?


Enjoy the rest of your day at America's Rockin' Roller Coast! Ride On!

The train at cedar point probaly goes 15 miles per hours top speed can't really tell, the track has been altered many times over the years most recent time they altered it is when they were starting to build the maverick, you can see the alters on old maps over the years.

Ralph Wiggum's avatar

CP&LE RR Fan said:
then in the cab you put coal in the Firefox

So the train runs on Firefox? No wonder it's so reliable. Unlike those trains that are running on Internet Explorer. :)


And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun

That was a typo it's Firebox.

What rule book does the railroad follow?GCOR, NORAC? or is there a rule book specifically for the CP&LE?

I don't know that fyi I don't work for the railroad. All I know is that cedar point and lake Erie railroad is a private railroad and is not governed by the FRA. I would ask a employe that works there.

What happened to the #2 Jennie K train that was there 5 years ago?

Jennie k is now at knots berry farm in California waiting to be restored.

Anybody want to know anything else about the railroad?

JW Addington's avatar

Did they ever talk about turning the train into a haunted train ride or something along those lines, for Halloweekends? I miss the train on friday nights!


When you visit CP, visit my Mill, est. 1835

JW Addington said:
Did they ever talk about turning the train into a haunted train ride or something along those lines, for Halloweekends? I miss the train on friday nights!

No, but they put skull flags on the front instead of the American flag.

We only carry coal on the engines but we can burn any solid fuel without modification to the locomotive. We do use wood in the mornings when lighting a new fire. All five engines on point are coal burners though 2 of them spent time as oil burners (including Maud).

Pressure builds in the boiler, the expansive force of the steam is used by opening a throttle valve to allow the steam into the cylinders. The pistons work opposite of each other though the drivers are quartered not halved. The main rod on one side is only a quarter turn behind (or ahead) of the other side, this has to do with counter balancing.

The track was moved for perimeter road (one side of the shop to the other), the million dollar midway, Millennium, and Maverick. The million dollar midway caused the removal of the track across trail where Albert sits though the trail would not have been there.

We are a private insular railroad with no outside connections or public grade crossings. therefore we are not governed by the FRA. The only over site is the park, the Ohio dept. of Commerce (boilers) and the Ohio dept. of Ag for the ride itself. We also have an outside company come in and inspect the track. People have argued with me that the crossing are public but they fail to remember that they are on private property. We do have a SOP manual for the Engine House that covers basic operations and what to do in emergencies. Everything else you learn as you go.


CP&LE RR Supervisor/Engineer 04-18

Pete's avatar

I think during one of the very early Hallo weekends the train DID turn into a mild haunted train ride.Live actors along the route. It only lasted a limited number of years though.


I'd rather be in my boat with a drink on the rocks,
than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.

Pete said:
I think during one of the very early Hallo weekends the train DID turn into a mild haunted train ride.Live actors along the route. It only lasted a limited number of years though.

Cool Never heard of that.

cple engineer, You worked the Huckleberry RR. I used to live just up the road, loved hearing it run while relaxing on the deck. Were you familiar with it back in the early to mid 80's? They used to do a whole train robbery skit back in the day. I would love to see CP do something like that.

cple_engineer said:
We only carry coal on the engines but we can burn any solid fuel without modification to the locomotive. We do use wood in the mornings when lighting a new fire. All five engines on point are coal burners though 2 of them spent time as oil burners (including Maud).

Pressure builds in the boiler, the expansive force of the steam is used by opening a throttle valve to allow the steam into the cylinders. The pistons work opposite of each other though the drivers are quartered not halved. The main rod on one side is only a quarter turn behind (or ahead) of the other side, this has to do with counter balancing.

The track was moved for perimeter road (one side of the shop to the other), the million dollar midway, Millennium, and Maverick. The million dollar midway caused the removal of the track across trail where Albert sits though the trail would
80s. not have been there

We are a private insular railroad with no outside connections or public grade crossings. therefore we are not governed by the FRA. The only over site is the park, the Ohio dept. of Commerce (boilers) and the Ohio dept. of Ag for the ride itself. We also have an outside company come in and inspect the track. People have argued with me that the crossing are public but they fail to remember that they are on private property. We do have a SOP manual for the Engine House that
covers basic operations and what to do in emergencies.
Everything else you learn as you go.

I know they only carry coal I was explaining that each steam engine (not at CP) burns diffrent type of fuel like at KI there use propane to heat the water. Then Maud L burned oil

Last edited by CP&LE RR Fan,

CP used to do a train robbery back in the day! Kids were deputized and given badges and cap guns.

When Maud was built by Baldwin she was set up to burn liquid or solid fuel. When she started at CP she burned oil as it was thought that oil would be easier for one man operation however it proved difficult and she was convert back to coal. 22 was also tried on oil but it to was switched back to coal. The davenport came to use as an oil burner but was convert to coal.


CP&LE RR Supervisor/Engineer 04-18

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